Footwear Assembly With Inner And Outer Articles

ABSTRACT

A footwear assembly includes an open toed inner article of footwear and an outer article of footwear. The inner article of footwear can be inserted into the outer article of footwear. The inner article of footwear can be worn separately from, or in combination with, the outer article of footwear. The footwear assembly can also include a wrapping member.

BACKGROUND

The present embodiments relate generally to articles of footwear, and inparticular to an assembly including an inner article of footwear and anouter article of footwear.

Articles of footwear for activities such as yoga and dance may comprisegenerally lightweight articles that are flexible and conform to thefoot. However, such articles may provide limited cushioning and/orcoverage for the foot.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a footwear assembly includes an inner article of footwearwith an open toe portion. The footwear assembly further includes anouter article of footwear configured to receive the inner article offootwear, where the outer article of footwear provides greater coverageof a sole of a foot than the inner article of footwear. The innerarticle of footwear can be worn independently from the outer article offootwear and the outer article of footwear can be worn over the innerarticle of footwear.

A footwear assembly including an inner article of footwear with an opentoe portion and an outer article of footwear configured to receive theinner article of footwear, where the outer article of footwear providesgreater coverage of a sole of a foot than the inner article of footwear.The inner article of footwear can be worn independently from the outerarticle of footwear. The inner article of footwear includes a firstplurality of traction elements. The outer article of footwear includes asecond plurality of traction elements.

A kit of parts includes an inner article of footwear with an open toeportion. The kit of parts also includes an outer article of footwearconfigured to receive the inner article of footwear, where the outerarticle of footwear provides greater coverage of a sole of a foot thanthe inner article of footwear. The kit of parts also includes a wrappingmember configured to be wrapped around the foot and ankle.

A footwear assembly includes an inner article of footwear with an opentoe portion, the inner article of footwear further including a vampportion that partially covers a top of a foot. The footwear assemblyalso includes an outer article of footwear configured to receive theinner article of footwear. The outer article of footwear includes anopening and the vamp portion of the inner article of footwear extendsthrough the opening.

Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the embodiments willbe, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following figures and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional systems, methods, features andadvantages be included within this description and this summary, bewithin the scope of the embodiments, and be protected by the followingclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings and description. The components in the figures are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingthe principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the figures, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a containerconfigured to store components including a footwear assembly;

FIG. 2 is a schematic isometric view of the container of FIG. 1, inwhich the container is opened;

FIG. 3 is a schematic top down view of the container of FIG. 1 in anopened state;

FIG. 4 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a kit of partsincluding a pair of footwear assemblies;

FIG. 5 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a footwearassembly;

FIG. 6 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a footwearassembly in which an inner article of footwear has been separated froman outer article of footwear;

FIG. 7 is a schematic top down view of an embodiment of an inner articleof footwear and an outer article of footwear;

FIG. 8 is a schematic bottom view of an embodiment of an inner articleof footwear and an outer article of footwear;

FIG. 9 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a step ofplacing a wrapping member around a foot;

FIG. 10 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a step oftying a wrapping member around a leg after an inner article of footwearhas been placed onto a foot;

FIG. 11 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a step ofassociating an inner article of footwear with an outer article offootwear;

FIG. 12 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a footwearassembly on a foot;

FIG. 13 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a user wearinga pair of footwear assemblies;

FIG. 14 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a user wearinginner articles of footwear with the corresponding outer articles offootwear removed; and

FIG. 15 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a user in anathletic position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate schematic views of an embodiment of afootwear kit 100 including one or more footwear assemblies. Footwear kit100, also referred to hereafter as simply kit 100, can be used with anytype of footwear. In addition, the principles discussed throughout thisdetailed description may not be limited in use to footwear. Similarprinciples could be applied to kits for various different types ofapparel as well.

Kit 100 and/or individual components comprising kit 100 may be obtainedin a variety of manners. In some embodiments, kit 100 may be purchasedby a customer at a retail location, such as a retail store or kiosk. Inother embodiments, kit 100 may be purchased and shipped to an addressassociated with a customer.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, kit 100 comprises various components associatedwith articles of footwear as well as provisions for storing thosecomponents. In some embodiments, kit 100 comprises a first footwearassembly 130 and a second footwear assembly 150. As discussed in furtherdetail below, each footwear assembly can further include a correspondingouter article of footwear, inner article of footwear as well as awrapping element. For example, in the current embodiment, first footwearassembly 130 includes a first outer article of footwear 132 and a firstinner article of footwear 134, which are shown as assembled in FIGS.1-4. First footwear assembly 130 further includes a first wrappingmember 136, which is shown separated from first outer article offootwear 132 and first inner article of footwear 134. Additionally,second footwear assembly 150 includes a second outer article of footwear152 and a second inner article of footwear 154, which are shown asassembled in FIGS. 1-4. Second footwear assembly 150 further includes asecond wrapping member 156, which is shown separated from second outerarticle of footwear 152 and second inner article of footwear 154.Further description of each of these components is given in furtherdetail below.

In some embodiments, kit 100 may also include provisions that facilitatethe use of one or more footwear assemblies. For example, someembodiments may include provisions that facilitate washing or cleaningof various components. In some embodiments, kit 100 could include a bag170. In some cases, bag 170 may be a mesh bag. In other embodiments, bag170 could be any other kind of bag including, but not limited to: a knitbag, a plastic bag, as well as any other kind of bag.

Kit 100 may comprise a container 102 that can be used to transportand/or store first footwear assembly 130, second footwear assembly 150and bag 170. In some embodiments, container 102 may be configured as anouter container body 104 with a drawer 106 that slides with respect toouter container body 104. In other embodiments, however, container 102may have any other configuration, including, for example, a shoebox-likeconfiguration.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, container 102 may compriseseparate compartments for storing different components of kit 100.However, in other embodiments multiple components may be stored in asingle compartment. Moreover, it will be understood that the numberand/or sizes of compartments used may be selected according to thenumber and sizes of components to be stored within container 102.

In some embodiments, container 102 includes various compartments forreceiving components of kit 100. For example, container 102 may includefirst compartment 110 storing first outer article of footwear 132 andfirst inner article of footwear 134 (which may be assembled forstorage). Likewise, container 102 may include second compartment 112 forstoring second outer article of footwear 152 and second inner article offootwear 154 (which may be assembled for storage). Additionally,container 102 may include third compartment 114 and fourth compartment116 for storing first wrapping member 136 and second wrapping member156, respectively. In some embodiments, container 102 may additionallyinclude a fifth compartment 118 for storing bag 170. This arrangement ofcomponents within individual compartments of container 102 mayfacilitate ease of storage and removal of the components.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the individual components of kit 100 have beenremoved from container 102 to better illustrate their structure. Forexample, first wrapping member 136 and second wrapping member 156 areseen to comprise substantially elongated ribbon-like members. Inparticular, first wrapping member 136 and second wrapping member 156 mayhave a substantially two-dimensional structure, such that thecorresponding length and width of each member is substantially greaterthan the thickness of the member. This structure allows first wrappingmember 136 and second wrapping member 156 to function as strap-likeelements that facilitate support when wrapped around portions of a foot.As discussed in further detail below, in some embodiments, firstwrapping member 136 and second wrapping member 156 may be used tofacilitate the functioning of first inner article of footwear 134 andsecond inner article of footwear 154, respectively.

In some embodiments, bag 170 may comprise a mesh bag that can receiveone or more components of a footwear assembly. For example, in someembodiments, bag 170 may function as a laundry bag. In other words, auser can place on or more components of a footwear assembly (or a pairof footwear assemblies) into bag 170. Bag 170 may then be put in awashing machine so that the footwear assembly can be cleaned. In thisway, bag 170 may provide protection for the components of a footwearassembly during cleaning. In other embodiments, bag 170 may provideadditional functions. For example, in another embodiment, a user maycarry and/or store one or more footwear assemblies within bag 170,rather than using container 102.

FIGS. 5 through 8 illustrate various views of some components of firstfootwear assembly 130, also hereafter referred to simply as footwearassembly 130. Although the following discussion describes components offirst footwear assembly 130, it will be understood that the discussionmay also apply to components of second footwear assembly 150, which maybe similar to first footwear assembly 130 in many respects.

As previously discussed, footwear assembly 130 includes first outerarticle of footwear 132 (also referred to simply as outer article offootwear 132) and first inner article of footwear 134 (also referred tosimply as inner article of footwear 134). Outer article of footwear 132and inner article of footwear 134 may comprise distinct articles thatmay be assembled together to form a composite article.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 7, for purposes of reference, outerarticle of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134 may be dividedinto corresponding forefoot portions, midfoot portions and heelportions. For example, outer article of footwear 132 may have a forefootportion 200, a midfoot portion 202 and a heel portion 204. Forefootportion 200 may be generally associated with the toes and jointsconnecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. Midfoot portion 202 maybe generally associated with the arch of a foot. Likewise, heel portion204 may be generally associated with the heel of a foot, including thecalcaneus bone. In a similar manner, inner article of footwear 134 mayhave a corresponding forefoot portion 210, midfoot portion 212 and heelportion 214. Forefoot portion 210 may be generally associated with thetoes and joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. Midfootportion 212 may be generally associated with the arch of a foot.Likewise, heel portion 214 may be generally associated with the heel ofa foot, including the calcaneus bone.

In some embodiments, each article may further include a toe portion thatcomprises part, but not necessarily all, of a forefoot portion. Forexample, outer article of footwear 132 may include toe portion 208 thatis associated with a forward portion of forefoot portion 200. Likewise,inner article of footwear 134 may include toe portion 218 that isassociated with a forward portion of forefoot portion 210. Both toeportion 208 of outer article of footwear 132 and toe portion 218 ofinner article of footwear 134 may correspond with the toes of the foot.

It will be understood that the terms forefoot portion, midfoot portion,heel portion and toe portion are only intended for purposes ofdescription and are not intended to demarcate precise regions of eitherouter article of footwear 132 or inner article of footwear 134.Moreover, it will be understood that these portions in each article maycorrespond to one another, but may not be identical in dimension and/orshape. Still further, some portions may be closed (i.e., covered), whileother portions may be open (i.e., uncovered). For example, in someembodiments, inner article of footwear 134 may comprise a generally opentoe portion 218.

In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 comprises an openarticle that covers some, but not all, portions of a foot. In someembodiments, for example, inner article of footwear 134 may compriseportions that cover a sole of the foot, a heel of the foot, as well assome parts of the instep of the foot. In some embodiments, therefore,inner article of footwear 134 includes a bottom portion 230 for coveringat least some of the sole of the foot, as well as a heel coveringportion 232 that covers the heel.

In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 may further includeat least one strap that covers portions of the instep (or top) of thefoot. In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 includes firststrap portion 240 and second strap portion 242. In some embodiments,first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242 may extend in acrisscross arrangement from heel portion 214 to forefoot portion 210 ofinner article of footwear 134. Moreover, first strap portion 240 andsecond strap portion 242 extend through a vamp portion 209 of innerarticle of footwear 134. Vamp portion 209 comprises a portion of innerarticle of footwear 134 that is associated with the top, or instep, of afoot. In this configuration, first strap portion 240 and second strapportion 242 may extend through vamp portion 209 in a manner that willpartially cover the instep of a foot. Thus, with this arrangement, firststrap portion 240 and second strap portion 242 may help secure innerarticle of footwear 134 to a foot.

The arrangement of inner article of footwear 134 described here providesfor an opening 250, which may be formed between heel covering portion232 and first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242.Furthermore, the strap-like configuration provides several additionalopenings, or uncovered regions, along vamp portion 209.

In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 may comprise anopen-toed article. In other words, in some embodiments, toe portion 218of inner article of footwear 134 may be associated with one or moreopenings that allow some toes to be exposed or uncovered. In someembodiments, inner article of footwear 134 may include first toe opening220 and second toe opening 222, which may be further separated byseparating portion 224. In some embodiments, first toe opening 220 mayreceive the big toe of the foot, while second toe opening 222 mayreceive the remaining toes of the foot. In other embodiments, however,first toe opening 220 and second toe opening 222 could be arranged toreceive any combination of the toes. Moreover, in other embodiments,additional separating portions may be used to create additional (i.e.,more than two) toe openings. In still other embodiments, separatingportions could be absent so that inner article of footwear 134 comprisesa single opening at toe portion 218.

In some embodiments, outer article of footwear 132 comprises a lowerportion 260 and an upper portion 262. Lower portion 260 may comprise anoutsole-like structure that is configured to contact the ground as wellas provide coverage for the sole of a foot. Upper portion 262 may covervarious portions of the foot. In some embodiments, upper portion 262comprises a heel covering portion 264 and a toe covering portion 266.Additionally, upper portion 262 may comprise a first sidewall portion268 and a second sidewall portion 270 that extend between heel coveringportion 264 and toe covering portion 266. Moreover, in some embodiments,outer article of footwear 132 is configured with a large opening 280that receives inner article of footwear 134 as well as portions of thefoot. With this arrangement, outer article of footwear 132 is configuredto provide coverage for the lower portions of the foot, but may remainopen at regions associated with the instep, or top, of the foot. In someembodiments, outer article of footwear 132 may provide greater coveragefor a sole of the foot than inner article of footwear 134, which may beopen at the toes.

As seen in FIG. 5, when inner article of footwear 134 is inserted intoouter article of footwear 132, the assembled components comprise anassembly that provides coverage along both the bottom of the foot aswell as some coverage on the top of the foot. In some embodiments,portions of inner article of footwear 134 may extend through opening 280of outer article of footwear 132. For example, some portions of heelcovering portion 232 of inner article of footwear 134 extends throughopening 280. Likewise, portions of first strap portion 240 and secondstrap portion 242 (which comprise vamp portion 209) may extend throughopening 280. This assembled configuration may provide a generallyintegrated appearance for outer article of footwear 132 and innerarticle of footwear 134.

In different embodiments, each of outer article of footwear 132 andinner article of footwear 134 may be configured with varying materialcharacteristics. For example, in some embodiments, the resiliency ofouter article of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134 couldvary. In other embodiments, the rigidity of outer article of footwear132 and inner article of footwear 134 could vary. In one embodiment, forexample, outer article of footwear 132 could be substantially more rigidthan inner article of footwear 134. This arrangement could provideincreased rigidity, protection for the foot and durability when outerarticle of footwear 132 is worn over inner article of footwear 134.Moreover, this arrangement could allow inner article of footwear 134 toprovide increased flexibility when used without outer article offootwear 132. This may facilitate the use of inner article of footwear134 in a variety of athletic activities requiring flexibility, controland proprioception of the foot (such as Yoga or dance). However, instill other embodiments, outer article of footwear 132 could beconfigured as less rigid than, or with a substantially equal rigidityto, inner article of footwear 134.

In still other embodiments, outer article of footwear 132 and innerarticle of footwear 134 could vary in a variety of different materialcharacteristics. These include, but are not limited to: rigidity,resiliency, elasticity, flexibility, durability, as well as possiblyother material characteristics. In some other embodiments, outer articleof footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134 could share one ormore material characteristics.

In order to achieve different material characteristics, some embodimentscould use different materials (or combinations of materials) for outerarticle of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134. For example,in some embodiments inner article of footwear 134 could be made of aflexible material such as neoprene. In some embodiments, outer articleof footwear 132 could comprise two or more materials. For example, outerarticle of footwear 132 could comprise a base material and aground-contacting material (such as an outsole) that is substantiallymore resilient or rigid than the base material. In one embodiment, thebase material could comprise neoprene and the ground-contacting materialcould comprise rubber. In other embodiments, any other kinds ofmaterials can be used for outer article of footwear 132 and/or innerarticle of footwear 134 including, but not limited to: woven materials,non-woven materials, natural materials, synthetic materials as well asany kinds of materials known in the art for constructing footwear.

Embodiments can include provisions to facilitate traction when wearingeither inner article of footwear 134 independently or in combinationwith outer article of footwear 132. In some embodiments, both innerarticle of footwear 134 and outer article of footwear 132 can includeprovisions to facilitate traction. In some embodiments, both innerarticle of footwear 134 and outer article of footwear 132 can beconfigured with a plurality of traction elements. The term “tractionelement” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claimsrefers to any element that facilitates increased friction, grip, orinteraction of some kind, with a ground surface. The term is notintended to be limiting and could apply to various traction creatingstructures known in the art including, but not limited to: treadstructures (such as ridges or other structures separated by grooves),studs, cleats, textured surfaces as well as other kinds of tractioncreating structures.

Referring now to FIG. 8, outer article of footwear 132 may be configuredwith a first plurality of traction elements 302. First plurality oftraction elements 302 may comprise a plurality of tread features thatare formed by a pattern of tread forming grooves 304. In this exemplaryembodiment, plurality of traction elements 302 comprise varioustriangular shaped elements that are raised along the outer surface oflower portion 260. Still other embodiments could incorporate any othersizes, numbers, shapes and arrangements of traction elements.

In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 may comprise a secondplurality of traction elements 310. In this embodiment, second pluralityof traction elements 310 comprise a plurality of raised elements thatare bonded to lower surface 330 of inner article of footwear 134.Moreover, second plurality of traction elements 310 may be furthercharacterized by a first group of traction elements 312 and a secondgroup of traction elements 314 associated with forefoot portion 210 andheel portion 214, respectively, of inner article of footwear 134. Insome embodiments, first group of traction elements 312 and second groupof traction elements 314 are separated by an intermediate region 316 oflower surface 330, which does not include any traction elements. Inother words, first group of traction elements 312 and second group oftraction elements 314 may be disjoint, or non-overlapping, groups.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary pattern for traction elements on innerarticle of footwear 134 in which traction elements are configured asdiamonds arranged in a grid-like pattern. However, other embodimentscould utilize any other traction pattern including variations in thesizes, shapes and arrangements of traction elements.

FIGS. 9-12 illustrate schematic isometric views of steps of puttingfootwear assembly 130 onto a foot 400. During a first step, shown inFIG. 9, wrapping element 136 may be associated with foot 400. Wrappingelement 136 may have a first end portion 410, a second end portion 412and an intermediate portion 414 disposed between the first end portion410 and the second end portion 412. In some cases, during this firststep, intermediate portion 414 of wrapping element 136 may be placedunder arch portion 402 of foot 400.

Next, as seen in FIG. 10, a user may place inner article of footwear 134onto foot 400. As seen here, with inner article of footwear 134 insertedover foot 400, toes 404 may be exposed through opening 220 and opening222 of toe portion 208. Moreover, first strap portion 240 and secondstrap portion 242 may extend over instep 406 of foot 400.

In some embodiments, once inner article of footwear 134 has been placedonto foot 400, wrapping element 136 may be wrapped and tied around theleg. In some cases, first end portion 410 and second end portion 412 ofwrapping element 136 may extend over the top of inner article offootwear 134 (i.e., first strap portion 240 and second strap portion242). As seen in FIG. 11, first end portion 410 and second end portion412 may be tied together at leg portion 408 to secure wrapping element136 in place. This configuration may help increase support for the footand ankle, as well as adding some decorative features for footwearassembly 130.

With wrapping element 136 and inner article of footwear 134 placed ontofoot 400, outer article of footwear 132 may be easily inserted overthese components to form the assembled footwear system. As shown in FIG.12, footwear assembly 130 gives the appearance of a unified article whenworn together on foot 400.

FIGS. 13 through 15 illustrate an exemplary situation in which a pair offootwear assemblies may be used. In particular, FIG. 13 illustrates aschematic view of a user 500 who intends to practice yoga. FIG. 14illustrates a schematic view of the feet of user 500 after the outerarticles of footwear have been removed. Finally, FIG. 15 illustrates aschematic view of user 500 taking an athletic pose, in which thebenefits of the traction elements provided on the inner articles offootwear are highlighted.

Referring first to FIG. 13, user 500 may arrive at a destination (suchas a gym) for practicing yoga, dance, or similar athletic activities. Inthis case, user 500 may carry mat 502. Additionally, user 500 may bewearing a pair of footwear assemblies that include first footwearassembly 130 and second footwear assembly 150. In particular, at thispoint user 500 may be wearing first outer article of footwear 132 overfirst inner article of footwear 134 and second outer article of footwear152 over second inner article of footwear. First outer article offootwear 132 and second outer article of footwear 154 may provideincreased resiliency and durability for walking in various environments(i.e., walking outside on concrete, asphalt, etc.).

Referring next to FIG. 14, with mat 502 in place on a ground surface,user 500 may remove first outer article of footwear 132 and second outerarticle of footwear 152. With these outer articles of footwear removed,first inner article of footwear 134 and second inner article of footwear154 may provide increased flexibility, traction and proprioception forthe foot, while also providing some protection to the feet.

Referring next to FIG. 15, user 500 is able to perform a variety ofathletic moves (e.g., yoga moves and/or dance moves). In the exemplarypose of FIG. 15, first inner article of footwear 134 and second innerarticle of footwear 154 provide substantial flexibility as well asexposure of the toes, which may help user 500 to make good contact withthe ground. Moreover, as seen in the schematic enlargements of FIG. 15,the plurality of traction elements 310 provided on the bottom of firstinner article of footwear 134 allow the foot to be planted withoutsubstantial slipping. Similar traction elements associated with secondinner article of footwear 154 may also facilitate planting of theassociated foot as well. This arrangement allows increased traction tobe provided on inner article of footwear 134 without limiting theability of inner article of footwear 134 to adapt to the variouspositions of the foot.

While various embodiments have been described, the description isintended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments andimplementations are possible that are within the scope of theembodiments. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restrictedexcept in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also,various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of theattached claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A footwear assembly, comprising: an inner articleof footwear with an open toe portion; an outer article of footwearconfigured to receive the inner article of footwear, wherein the outerarticle of footwear provides greater coverage of a sole of a foot thanthe inner article of footwear; and wherein the inner article of footwearcan be worn independently from the outer article of footwear and whereinthe outer article of footwear can be worn over the inner article offootwear.
 2. The footwear assembly according to claim 1, wherein theouter article of footwear is more resilient than the inner article offootwear.
 3. The footwear assembly according to claim 1, wherein theouter article of footwear is substantially more rigid than the innerarticle of footwear.
 4. The footwear assembly according to claim 1,wherein the outer article of footwear comprises at least two differentportions made of substantially different materials.
 5. The footwearassembly according to claim 1, wherein the outer article of footwear isconfigured to cover the toes of the foot.
 6. The footwear assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the outer article of footwear comprises alower portion and an upper portion and wherein the upper portion issubstantially more elastic than the lower portion.
 7. A footwearassembly, comprising: an inner article of footwear with an open toeportion; an outer article of footwear configured to receive the innerarticle of footwear, wherein the outer article of footwear providesgreater coverage of a sole of a foot than the inner article of footwear;wherein the inner article of footwear can be worn independently from theouter article of footwear; wherein the inner article of footwearincludes a first plurality of traction elements; and wherein the outerarticle of footwear includes a second plurality of traction elements. 8.The footwear assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first pluralityof traction elements comprise a first group of traction elementsassociated with a first portion of the inner article of footwear and asecond group of traction elements associated with a second portion ofthe inner article of footwear, and wherein the first portion isseparated from the second portion.
 9. The footwear assembly according toclaim 8, wherein the first portion is a forefoot portion and wherein thesecond portion is a heel portion.
 10. The footwear assembly according toclaim 7, wherein the second plurality of traction elements comprisetread elements that are integral with a lower portion of the outerarticle of footwear.
 11. The footwear assembly according to claim 10,wherein the second plurality of traction elements extend through amajority of the lower portion.
 12. A kit of parts, comprising: an innerarticle of footwear with an open toe portion; an outer article offootwear configured to receive the inner article of footwear, whereinthe outer article of footwear provides greater coverage of a sole of afoot than the inner article of footwear; and a wrapping memberconfigured to be wrapped around the foot and ankle.
 13. The kit of partsaccording to claim 12, wherein the kit of parts further includes acontainer for storing the inner article, the outer article and thewrapping member.
 14. The kit of parts according to claim 13, wherein thekit of parts further includes a bag and where the bag can be used towash the inner article of footwear, the outer article of footwear andthe wrapping member.
 15. The kit of parts according to claim 13, whereinthe container includes a drawer with at least three separatedcompartments and wherein the inner article of footwear and the outerarticle of footwear are configured to be stored in a first compartment,wherein the wrapping member is configured to be stored in a secondcompartment and wherein the bag is configured to be stored in a thirdcompartment.
 16. A footwear assembly, comprising: an inner article offootwear with an open toe portion, the inner article of footwear furtherincluding a vamp portion that partially covers a top of a foot; an outerarticle of footwear configured to receive the inner article of footwear;wherein the outer article of footwear includes an opening; and whereinthe vamp portion of the inner article of footwear extends through theopening.
 17. The footwear assembly according to claim 16, wherein theinstep of a foot can extend through the opening.
 18. The footwearassembly according to claim 16, wherein the inner article of footwearand the outer article of footwear have a substantially integratedappearance.
 19. The footwear assembly according to claim 16, wherein thefootwear assembly further includes a wrapping element that extends frombeneath an arch of a foot to an ankle of the foot.
 20. The footwearassembly according to claim 16, wherein the inner article of footwearprovides for greater flexibility of the foot than the outer article offootwear.